This healthy life – This {______

Finding the Best Chocolate Protein Shake: My Reviews – Part 3

Today’s protein shake reviews are for two really good ones.

First I tried Super Coffee Protein. I wasn’t sure if this one would count toward a chocolate shake. The flavor was mocha. This one was super creamy and it had a nice coffee and chocolate taste. With 150 calories, 25 grams of protein, 8 carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 1 g sugar, this was delicious. I give it 4 stars.

The second shake I tried in this batch was Slate Ultra Protein. At 130 calories and 30 grams of protein, this was a tasty choice. With 3 g of carbs, 1 g fiber, and 1 g sugar, it was a good choice with less calories and sugar. I give this one 4.25 stars out of 5.

Anything you want me to taste test?

Thanks for reading.

Finding the Best Chocolate Protein Shake: My Reviews – Part 2

Today we are going to taste Fairlife Core Power and Muscle Milk.

First up … Fairlife Core Power. This one has 170 calories, 26 G protein, 8 g carbs, 2 g fiber, and 5 g sugar. It is very creamy and has a nice chocolate flavor. I really liked this one. 4 stars.

Muscle Milk – sounds like something that a body builder would drink, doesn’t it? It has 170 calories, 25 G protein, 11 g carbs, 6 g fiber, and 0 g sugar. I had high hopes for this one. First, the smell is not pleasant. It smells like medicine. While it starts out creamy, it quickly turns chalky. It lacked a chocolaty taste. I had two sips and I was done. This is a pass for me. 0 stars

Is there a “health” food or healthy recipe you would like me to try or compare? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Finding the Best Chocolate Protein Shake: My Reviews – Part 1

Since starting a GLP-1 three weeks ago, I’ve had to concentrate on getting enough protein. I try to have 30 grams of protein by 9 am. This can be a challenge. One way to do this is to have a protein shake. If I don’t have time to mix one up, I like to grab a bottle or can of already made shake. But, which is my favorite? I decided to get as many shakes as I can for a taste test. I’m going to try two, write my review on them. Then when I have finally made my way through all of them, I will do a summary. To help compare apples to apples, I am sticking with all chocolate flavors.

First up is the Oikos Protein Shake. I love Oikos yogurt, so I have high hopes for this one. With 30 grams of protein, 180 calories, and only 1 gram of sugar, this shake helped me hit my 30 by 9 am. This had a great chocolate taste but was not a creamy experience. For 10 minutes after finishing it, there was a weird aftertaste in my mouth. Passable but not my favorite. 2.5 out of 5.

The second shake I tried was the Nutri Chocolate Milk Shake. This one has 30 grams of protein and 1 g sugar, just like the Oikos but it has 30 less calories. This one was nice and creamy and the chocolate taste was so good. I didn’t get any aftertaste. I will probably try more of this brand. 4 out of 5.

I believe I have 7 more shakes to try. Stay tuned for more chocolate protein shake reviews.

If you have any taste test suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Progress, not perfection – Day 20

It is day 20 and I am officially down 14.3 pounds. I’ve been pretty good with my eating. My biggest problem has been making sure I eat enough. The days that I gain slightly have been the ones where I’ve not eaten enough food the day before. I wouldn’t say I forget to eat, as some people have reported. It’s more that I am not hungry. I pay more attention to my macros (protein, fat, carbs) than I do calories and that seems to be working well.

As you can see, there have been some days I’ve gained but then lost it plus more. Those were the days I was too restrictive and my body said “Hey, we’re starving here. Better save that fat for tomorrow in case there is no food!”

I am still working on moving more. Some days are better than others. As my wellness coach says, “something is better than nothing”.

Thanks for coming on this journey with me.

The journey – day 4

Even though I only started on the GLP-1 journey on Friday 1/9/26, I am counting the weight loss since I started eating healthier, drinking more water, and moving more – 12/17/25. Here is a chart showing what I have lost so far.

Pretty good, huh? I’m proud of me. To make things even more interesting, I went down 1 point in my BMI since 12/31/25 and down 3.3% in my body fat percentage.

I’m going to try to keep posting my progress chart on Mondays, the day I officially weigh myself at home. I think it will keep me motivated.

I just ordered this stepper for under my desk at work to try and continue movement of any kind all day. It comes Tuesday or Wednesday. I can’t wait. If you want to check it out, here is the Amazon link. Please note, I am not an Amazon affiliate, so I do not post this to get credit or get paid. I truly want to help people. https://a.co/d/bzBIVBF

Thanks for coming on this journey with me. Please share any tips, tricks, ideas, motivation in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Stepping Into My GLP-1 Journey: A New Chapter Begins

I’m officially standing at the start of something new—and I feel genuinely excited about it.

Beginning my GLP-1 journey isn’t just about weight loss. It’s about taking control in a way that feels intentional, informed, and long overdue. After a lot of research, reflection, and preparation, I’m ready to focus on getting healthy, not chasing perfection, but choosing progress.

One of the things I’m most looking forward to is simply moving better. I want my body to feel like a partner again, not something I have to fight with. Less knee pain is high on my wish list—because when movement hurts less, life opens up more. Walking becomes possible. Energy comes back. Confidence grows.

And yes, I’m excited to make myself a priority.

Not someday. Not after everything else is handled. Now.

As part of this journey, I’m starting a walking program, something gentle but consistent—movement that fits into real life and supports long-term health. I’m also continuing the healthy eating and movement plan that’s already been working for me. Since December 15, 2025, I’ve lost 11 pounds, and that matters. It tells me I’m capable. It tells me I can trust myself when I commit.

There’s also room for small, surprisingly hopeful goals—like trying (and maybe even liking!) cottage cheese. It might sound minor, but embracing new foods and habits is part of building a healthier relationship with my body and my choices.

This GLP-1 journey feels like a tool—not a shortcut, not a magic fix, but support. Support as I keep showing up for myself. Support as I build momentum. Support as I choose health, mobility, and strength for the long run.

I’m proud of where I’m starting.
I’m excited about where I’m going.
And for the first time in a long time, I’m doing this—for me.

It is a start

Last month I began preparing to take better care of myself. I met with my doctor, had a thyroid scan, and met with a wellness coach. I believe I have a good plan in place to lose some weight and get stronger.

I see the doctor again next week. He may or may not put me on a GLP-1. I wanted to start this journey for several years and have done extensive research into using GLP-1s to assist with weight loss. I have been reading up on things to do to minimize side effects.

Yesterday I had a good discussion with my wellness coach. I learned a lot from her in that one hour call. For example, I am on the right track in adding more protein to my diet. I am also on the right track with cutting down on coffee and it’s companion poisons – sugar and artificial creamer. I have switched over to drinking tea either green or black tea. I allow myself one 50 cal probiotic soda but I have not had one every day. It is a treat. I drink mostly water now.

This week I started doing squats. Every hour while I was at work I did 10 squats. I did this for two days and by the third day I was in quite a bit of pain and discomfort. The wellness coach told me that it was lactic acid buildup in my legs and that I should drink more water when I do squats. She said that the water will help flush away the lactic acid. I plan on trying that on Monday .

I plan to keep a record of my journey here and will update as things move along. I have already lost 5 pounds so I am feeling more positive that I can do this than I ever have.

Let’s do this thing!

Have you had the cold?

Down here on the SW Florida coast, there is a cold, virus…crud going around. Mike came home with it two Friday’s ago. Two days later, I started with it. It was weird. The symptoms were exactly the same for us both, just two days difference.

They were:

Sore throat
Extreme sinus/nasal congestion
Headache
Exhaustion
Body aches
Cough (starting as non-productive then becoming productive)

I started with it on Sunday. I spent Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in bed. No appetite. On Wednesday, I saw the doctor and he put me on antibiotics. Thursday, Friday, Saturday showed much improvement. It is now Sunday and I am feeling a lot better. We both still have the cough but that will go away soon, I hope.

I am susceptible to bronchitis and pneumonia, so I was lucky this time. This all started with someone coughing all over him at work.

Things I ask, without infringing upon your “freedoms”:

Cover your mouth when you cough
Cover your face when you sneeze
If are sick and you can, STAY HOME
Wash your hands
Use hand sanitizer

Good luck out there.

Thanks for reading.

My Lingo CGM is bossy!

Today, after indulging in some candy to see how it would affect my glucose count, my CGM (I shall call her Lingy) got bossy and told me I had to do 20 squats! What a bossy pants. I moved into a corner near my desk and completed all 20 squats. Kind of proud of myself!

The harpooned whale

So, my Lingo CGM (continuous glucose monitor) arrived. I prepped my arm and placed the sensor. It did not hurt at all. I did, however, bleed like a harpooned whale.

So far, my levels have been between 76 and 110. I can’t wait to see how it goes tomorrow. Here is a photo of the sensor showing the needle.